There are many situations in one's backyard, while camping, or on a farm where it is desirable or necessary to suspend something above the ground. In the backyard it would be convenient to be able to set up a hammock to relax in that does not require damaging the supporting members or making complicated knots. While camping, canopies are needed over cooking areas and temporary clotheslines may be necessary to hang wet clothes. On a farm one often needs to rig up tarpauline covers for tractors or other machinery. A common difficulty in all of these scenarios is the desire or the need to suspend something above the ground. In the past, to suspend a hammock or a canopy above the ground one has had to resort to ropes and a crude knowledge of knots. This has often met with much frustration. It is time consuming to set up such temporary structures, the knots are either too loose and give way under strain, or they are too tight and can never be undone. Such wastes of time and aggravation are now a thing of the past with the suspension device of the subject invention.
This invention relates to a suspension device which can be used to suspend an object such as a hammock or the like. Hammocks are typically suspended by chains or ropes from hooks anchored in trees or posts or other such load bearing members; this creates several problems. First, if the trees, posts or boughs to which the hammock is fastened to are further apart than the length of the hammock, then chains or ropes must be used and to bring such equipment along for temporary hammock setups is cumbersome and heavy. Second, the hooks used to suspend the hammock must be securely anchored, and this often entails nailing, screwing or some other such fastening which cannot be easily or quickly removed without special tools. The use of such hooks damages the trees or posts, is time consuming to install and take down. Further it is of a semi-permanent nature and as a practice does not lend itself well to setting up hammocks during camping trips, an afternoon in the park and so on.
Some attempts have been made in the past to introduce a better hammock suspension device. U.S. Pat. No. 399,928, dated Mar. 19, 1898, granted to Pritchard for a "Hammock-Suspension Device," discloses a metal device that is cinched or bolted to the tree or post, wherein the hammock is attached to the front hook. This system has three disadvantages. First, the location that the hammock can be placed in is still limited by the length of the hammock and the space between the members that will support its suspension. Second, due to the metal construction of the "hammock-hook," the bracket that rests against the tree or post is not malleable and hence unable to accommodate very large or very small trees or posts. Third, the design of the device transfers the load in the hammock to bear directly on the hook, thus creating a significant weak point.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,160, dated Apr. 17, 1962, granted to Tandy for a "Hanging Table," discloses a suspension device used to suspend a table. It consists of a belt and buckle and two support arms that can hook onto the belt. If the suspension system was used to suspend hammocks it would have three disadvantages. First, the support arms would be heavy and cumbersome to carry about. Second, the set-up location of the hammock would still be limited greatly by the length of the hammock. Third, this device also transfers the load to bear directly on the hooks, thus creating a significant weak point and stressing the belt.
It is desirable to have a portable hammock suspension system that is able to support a hammock between one or more members over a wide range without the use of chains, is quick to set up, light weight and secures the hammock to the objects with little slippage, does not damage the load bearing members and is secure. The present invention relates to a hammock suspension system that meets these needs.